The Destruction of Things
by Art Witch - Aka Mizu
Summary: "Everything that is anything must crumble into a never ending abyss. Little Brother, I'm sorry; but this is how things are." Itachi's POV of the events of Naruto. Four-Shot
1. The Abyss Known as Murder

**This chapter is Itachi's POV of the stuff involving the Uchiha clan massacre.  
>Sorry if it's a bit off (character wise, story wise, or dialogue wise)<br>Sorry if it's too long.**

**I do not own Naruto or its characters. If I did, Itachi wouldn't be dead (and neither would the awesome people, like Haku).  
>P.S. the ~O and X~ thing separates days and my usual ~*&amp;*~ is just small gaps in time. <strong>

**The Destruction of Things**

The Abyss Known as Murder

"What?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You want me to _what?" _I looked at the elders, unable to comprehend how they expected me to be able to do this.

"Itachi…" Lord Third raised his hand, "The council has decided it be best if you exterminate the Uchihas."

"You don't honestly expect me to kill these people…? They are my friends, my family! My own kin, my flesh and blood! I cannot just steal their lives!"

"Itachi, would you rather wipe out your clan, or watch your whole village fall, shinobi or not, by the hands of the same people you refused to kill?"

He was right. I would much rather kill them and spare the lives of the innocents. This was the price of being head of Anbu. "I will become rogue, shall I not?"

"You will. We are sorry, Itachi." Danzo simply stated. I doubted he meant it.

"Itachi… we will never forget what you have done, even if everyone else will." Koharu reassured. I trusted her more than I did Danzo.

"Alright; fine. It is my duty as a Shinobi of Leaf." The elders nodded approvingly. "Just, allow me one thing." They looked at me suddenly, alarmed. It was the Lord Hokage who nodded in allowance. "Please, let me to spare Sasuke."

"That is what you want?" The Hokage ran his fingers over his beard. Danzo's eyes were painted with fury.

"We can permit you one thing, but this… this is… we cannot let one live! One is all it takes to carry out the vile plots!"

"I cannot kill my own brother. He is young, naïve. He knows nothing about what Father and the others are planning! He is still innocent!"

The elders looked at each other. They leaned in and started whispering. The whispers grew louder, faster. It sounded as if they disagreed. "Alright," Lord Third finally replied, looking at me sympathetically.

I sighed with relief. "Thank you, my lord." I could never harm my beloved younger brother! Maybe someday he could restore our clan to its former glory; the glory it lost when they planned on turning against Konaha.

~ OOO XXX OOO ~

Sasuke jumped high, releasing his shuriken. It officially missed every target.

"Foolish little brother…" I mumbled. I was helping Sasuke with his shuriken practice.

Sighing, I demonstrated. "Like this, Sasuke." I wielded the shuriken in between my fingers. I jumped high, releasing the projectiles in a spinning motion.

"Wow…" Sasuke breathed; I hit every one, even the one behind the tree.

Sasuke reattempted his turn. It hit a few. Sasuke would not give up and kept going. With each time he tried, his aim improved. Before long, the sun was starting to dip beneath the horizon.

"Sasuke, it's time to end for today." Sasuke was not pleased to hear this.

"But Itachi… I was just getting the hang of it!" He whined like the child he was.

"Another time," I didn't mean it. There would be no 'other time'.

X~*&*~X

Sasuke followed behind me as we headed towards home. "Ugh!" Sasuke fell over, unable to stand.

"You wore yourself out, didn't you…?" I was slightly annoyed, but I didn't mind slumping him over my back and carrying him. Sasuke laughed; and I admit, I was happy. A smile escaped my lips.

~ OOO XXX OOO ~

"WHAT?" Father was furious. "Do you have any idea what kind of day tomorrow is right?" I wouldn't miss the meeting. I don't know why he was so upset. He knew I could. "You don't understand where your position is…"

"Tomorrow I have a mission to do." I detested bringing up the 'extermination', but I had no choice.

"What mission?" Father's face was stern.

I hesitated. "Well, I can't say… it's an absolutely secret mission." Mother looked surprised; Father's frown deepened. His eyes were shut tight.

"Itachi…" He seemed as if he were trying to hold together. He retained his anger for the moment. "You're the backbone that connects this family to the village… you have to be a useful connection." I was being a 'useful connection' – just not useful to him. "You understand that… right?"

"Yeah…" I did understand; I understood the village needed me. His face was still disapproving.

"Impress them well and then come to tomorrow's meeting." I was about to respond, but a soft brushing sound caught my attention. It came from the direction of Sasuke's room.

"Sasuke… go to the bathroom and quickly go to sleep." Sasuke had probably woken up to go to the bathroom, but was too afraid to go when he heard us talking.

Mother and Father looked very surprised by my command.

"O, O, Okay…" Sasuke stuttered. He started to step out.

"Loitering around this late at night; hurry up and sleep!" Father was not pleased with Sasuke being awake.

"Okay…" I looked at Sasuke from the corner of my eye. He looked so ashamed. Or was he just that nervous?

X~*&*~X

The morning came quickly. I sat next to Sasuke. Laying between us was Sasuke's report card. It was very impressive.

"Dad's always going on about you... all the time." Sasuke took me by surprise. He sounded slightly saddened by this.

"Am I… _unpleasant?_" I teased, though I did want to know how he felt.

Sauske paused, as if he were unsure how to answer. If it was a difficult question, it was probably because he wanted to say yes.

"That's not bad… shinobi usually live as hated people, because they're said to be a problem."

"Such… such a way…" Sauske looked disappointed.

"He he," I found myself smiling, "To be top notch, is really something to think about. To have strength means you become isolated, and become arrogant. Although at first, you only sought for what you had dreamed for…" I hadn't meant to shed wisdom on my little brother. I simply meant to share my opinion.

"Well, we're just unique siblings." Sauske seemed taken aback. Had he not expected me to praise him? "In order to overcome your barriers, you and I have to continue living together - even if it means hating each other. That's what being an elder brother means."

A sudden exclamation alarmed us. _"Is Itachi here? Come out now, we need to talk!" _Three figures stood before us.

I rose and met with them. Was this about me skipping last night's meeting?

"I can understand that you've been occupied with various missions since you joined the Anbu. Your father also told us that, and he's looking over you… _however. _We have no intent on treating you differently." One spoke.

"I understand… I'll be more careful from now on… Please leave." It wasn't a suggestion.

"Yeah… but before we do, there's one more thing you need to answer." I don't know why, but that statement worried me.

The other spoke, "It's regarding the suicide by drowning in the Nakano River last night… of Uchiha Shisui." This sent off dozens of red flags. What did they suspect…?

"The other man that did not arrive last night was Shisui. I thought that you… considered Shisui a true brother." His words were weights of great sadness on me.

"I see… I haven't met with him recently… that is sad to hear."

"So we, the police force, have decided to investigate this incident fully." The first said while the second shuffled through his pockets.

The lighter haired officer pulled out a folded up piece of paper. "This is Shisui's suicide note…" He paused, "We already finished the handwriting analysis… It's no doubt his writing."

"If it's suicide, what is left to investigate?" The bigger question is, _why are they telling me?_ What do they know?

The darker haired of the two replied, "For those who can use Sharingan, it's quite easy to forge one's handwriting."

The second finished the thought by handing me the paper. "It's written on this little piece of paper. The following is his suicide note."

_I'm tired of the duties…  
>there is no future for Uchihas…<br>and for me…  
>I cannot walk out the "path" any further…<em>

His note astonished me.

The one who handed me the note contradicted the note. "He was feared as Shisui of the Mirage, and one of the most talented Uchiha… He was someone who'd do any mission for the clan. I doubt a man like him would leave something like this behind and die."

I waited a moment. "It's not wise to judge others by your preconceptions and their appearances." A frown defined itself on my features.

"I'm going to take that will to you… Take that to the Anbu and request that they investigate as well."

"Understood," I nodded as they left.

"I certainly hope there will be other evidence." The second declared.

"We, the police force, have other connections to the Anbu as well. If you do try to hide anything, we'll know right away," the third and almost forgotten officer warned.

I felt a wave of melancholy. "Why don't you be more direct?" My downcast eyes suddenly snapped up. They halted, their heads turned slowly to face me. Their Sharingan were activated.

"So, you are suspicious of me?" My own Sharingan set off.

"Yes, brat," the first growled.

"Listen, Itachi! If you betray the clan, you won't go unpunished!" I wish Sasuke would stop listening. I didn't want him to see me like this.

In seconds, I had them all down. Three heaps… One of them moaned. "As I've said just now… don't judge others… simply by your preconceptions and judgments of their appearance." I stopped for a second. "You assumed… that I have patience."

"The clan, the clan… You all fail to measure your own capacity, and to see the depth of my capacity, and as a result, you lie beaten here.

The second officer shuddered, but managed to speak, "Shisui was told to keep an eye on you… Within half a year of your entrance into the Anbu, your actions and speech were getting stranger than ever… _What exactly are you thinking!_"

"You hold onto your organization, your clan, your name… These things limit us and limit our capacities… these things deserve to be shunned… It is foolish to fear what we have yet to see and know!"

"STOP ITACHI!" Father's voice boomed. My head snapped up suddenly. "Stop it already! What in the world is wrong? Itachi, you've been acting strange lately."

"Nothing's strange. I'm just carrying out my duty."

"Then… why did you not come last night?"

It took me a while to figure out how to say what I meant. "In order to reach the height…"

"_The what?" _Father did not seemed amused.

I don't know why, but I grabbed a kunai. My actions were swift enough to where Father didn't know what I was doing until I released the projectile into the center of a fan on the wall. Father looked startled.

"I've had enough… I've lost all hope for this pathetic clan." That was my answer to his first question. I didn't attend the meeting because I felt no need to.

"You forget what is most important to you because you cling to something trivial like a clan. True change cannot be made in this fog of ignorance. How can we evolve when regulation is all we know?"

"What arrogance!" One of the officers called out. "Enough already! If you continue this nonsense, we will have to take you to jail!" They started to shift up onto their feet.

"So what now!" They started speaking among themselves.

"We can't put up with him anymore! Captain… please order an arrest!"

"_Stop, brother!" _Sasuke's the only one who can cause me to flinch.

It was because of him, that I fell to the ground on my knees. This aroused the officers. They must've been shocked to see me humbled.

"It is not me who has killed Shisui… but for the words I have spoken, I am deeply sorry." Father looked at me in a way I did not recognize.

Father spoke, but I was no longer listening. All I know for sure is he stood up for me. I rose when Father told me to. That was the last time any of those officers would live…

~ OOO XXX OOO ~

I sat facing outside. I was in the process of putting on my sandals. Today was the day since I would carry out my final mission. I couldn't help but think about the awful things I'd fulfill tonight. I could not think of the horrid fate of my clan.

"Itachi?" Sasuke's voice interrupted my thoughts. I didn't bother facing him. "Will you help me with my shuriken throwing?"

"Forgive me Sasuke…" I stated firmly. A part of me wanted to help Sasuke with everything; but I couldn't, I didn't have the time today. "Again, next time." I poked his forehead with my index finger. Sasuke grimaced.

"You always say that! You always say '_Forgive me Sasuke… Again, next time_" and then poke me on the head. But you never mean it!"

He was right, I didn't mean it; but I wanted to.

~ OOO XXX OOO ~

"Who are… _you?_" A tall figure stood before me.

"My name is Uchiha Madara." What…? I knew no one of the name Madara. His whole body was shrouded by night. This Madara person was too far for me to really identify him.

"Come closer." My bravery surprised me. What was I doing calling a potentially dangerous threat?

Madara stepped closer. All I could focus on were his eyes. He did not lie – he was an Uchiha. Not only did he have Sharingan, but he had Mangekyō Sharingan. He was powerful, that was for sure.

"Who might _you _be, hm?" He cocked his head. His mass of hair fell, covering his eyes.

"Uchiha Itachi."

"Mmm, yes… that name does ring a bell. Itachi," He said my name in a tone that sounded like admiration. This confused me, ever so slightly. "You are head of Anbu, no?"

I nodded. Then, the truth of my fate loomed over me. I shook my head. "Not after tonight." The words pained me.

"What do you mean, kun?" Whether he was genuinely curious or asking for other purposes, I could not tell.

I explained my mission. I informed Madara of what the Uchiha were planning.

"Let me help you, Itachi." I was taken aback by his sudden offer. Or was it a command?

"Excuse me; what did you say?"

"Let me help you, Itachi." He repeated.

"I know what you said. I meant _why?_"

"Long ago, the Uchihas wronged me. Now is my chance to get revenge." He went into depth about his brother, how his Sharingan became Mangekyō Sharingan, how he was practically shunned by his own people, lastly, how he battled the First Hokage, lost, and 'died'.

"Alright. Just, if you see a young boy who sort of looks like me, spare him." I didn't want him getting rid of Sasuke.

"Your brother, I presume?" I nodded. "Brotherhood is important. I won't harm the kid."

~ OOO XXX OOO ~

Their screams pierced my heart. These people… my kin… Did they truly deserve to die? Perhaps they did; but what if they didn't? Guilt burned my core as I watched the light fade from their eyes. Uchiha eyes were special, unique. Now, they were just burnt out bulbs.

I killed everyone. The same people I used to say hello to in the morning. The hardest was easily my mother. Not so much Father, but Mother, yes.

I watched my parents' corpses limply fall over. So many years in this house… and now they had to die in the very room we had conversed so many times before. I couldn't help but feel a strong sorrow as bright embers engulfed the village. Flamboyant as it was, the display was also deadly.

Fiery fingers devoured everything. I made my way through town, making sure any trace of the Uchiha clan was dead. I leapt upwards onto a high pole. I crouched; I examined the burning village from a bird's eye view. My heart throbbed for the dying village.

X~*&*~X

A small shadow made its way through the rising smog. Sasuke…? His figure was illuminated from the moon. I knew from where I was positioned, Sasuke wouldn't be able to make me out right away, for the moon was behind me.

Sasuke's head turned up; chin jutted outwards. I could tell he was looking in my direction. He saw me, not like that was a huge shock. My silhouette on the moon was very noticeable. The real question was if he could tell it was me. Based on his terrified, shocked expression – yes, yes he could.

X~*&*~x

I don't know why, but I jumped down from my spot. "Itachi…" Sasuke's voice was pained. "What happened…?" I wish this were one of those times when I could joke around and say, _"Everyone's dead. The village was burned to the ground. What you _think _happened?"_

Sadly, this was not one of those times. I had to be serious. I couldn't tell him the truth. If he knew… they'd come after him. Memories flooded my mind as I beheld my brother's bewildered expression.

_X~*&~*X Flashback X~*&*~X_

_I stared down at Sasuke's baby features. He looked so scared… He cried so hard. I didn't know what to do. I wish Father or Mother was here… but they're off fighting in that war! _**(A/N: 'that war' is the Third Great Ninja War) **_I knew I had to be strong for Sasuke. He was my little brother! I adored him; maybe the best thing was to let him know. "Don't cry, Sasuke. Your big brother is here to protect you, no matter what happens."_

_X~*&~*X End Flashback X~*&*~X_

That day… I told him I'd always protect him. I had to fulfill that promise, even now. I just wish the only way to protect him weren't the way that would make him think I wasn't.

"Why… Itachi…?" He knew I killed them – all of them.

"I wanted to test my strength." _That was good – make him think you mercilessly killed innocent people, _I thought. Sasuke looked at me. I hated looking at that face. He looked at me like someone who would massacre people for such selfish reasons. Then again, that's what I wanted, right?

"Then, why…? Why don't you kill me?" His question didn't take me by surprise. Of course he'd want to know. As obvious his question was, it was also apparent I would never tell him.

"You are too pathetic to kill." That was the opposite of the truth.

Sasuke eyes grew wide. "I'll kill you!" His voice shook.

"Foolish little brother… if you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me. And yet live in an unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life, and when you have the same eyes as mine, come to me."

I then put him under Tsukuyomi. I would've preferred not, but I had to be thorough. He screamed. I showed him how I killed our parents. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke... but everything that is anything must crumble into a never ending abyss. I'm sorry, but that's how things are.

I waited to the bitter end. I fought back tears as I watched him look at me with such hatred.

I turned to leave, and I couldn't help the tear that welled in my eye. _Forgive me Sauske… I will always protect you, no matter what. _

**It's finally done! One down, three to go! Woo! Sorry if anything is confusing or whatnot. I really tried to get the story accurate! I even reread some chapters. **

**P.S. I know that the incident where Itachi carried Sauske on his back probably occurred before he was assigned the mission, but I kind of like the idea it was one of their last days together. **

**Well, review please! :3**


	2. The Abyss Known as Loneliness

**This chapter was in some ways the easiest, and in other ways the hardest to write. It's the only one that has no real facts from the actual plot. So, I had to use my imagination. Though, it is fun because I'm using words I don't usually use (because I think Itachi is very formal in his speech). This is what happened to Itachi after the massacre. Enjoy.**

**The Destruction of Things**

The Abyss Known as Loneliness

How many days has it been…? Two… three…? I wasn't even sure anymore. The days blurred together, as if being stitched by an amateur seamstress. I told the days by how many times the golden orb in the sky came up, then back down. I watched the colors mingle in the celestial cerulean. Though, my favorite was the lonesome rock above – the moon.

She seemed to understand my loneliness. I had never felt such an immense tragedy. No one could possibly understand half of what I went through. No, that's wrong. Sasuke did. He knew exactly how I felt. He knew how to lose everyone that mattered to you.

Why… why had I agreed? How did I not see this coming? How had I not known I'd spend every hour of darkness weeping? Only two nights had passed, but it felt like an eternity. If I felt this way now, I didn't wish to imagine what I would feel weeks from now. What would become of my hollowing soul when the holidays hit? Would I become nothing more than a mere shade of what I once was?

"Itachi," my name rang out in the soft air. I recognized the deep voice immediately as Madara.

"Madara," I replied flatly. I didn't really care what he wanted. _!_ A thought struck my mind. Did Madara know how I felt? Did he understand the torture of losing everything? From what he told me, he did.

I could tell Madara was behind me; I was proven correct when he made the sudden movement of coming closer to me. "Itachi, I have a gang. We call ourselves Akatsuki. Your skills could be a valuable asset."

_Akatsuki? _The name was not unfamiliar to me. The Akatsuki were the same people that tried to collect Jinjuriki. They were an organization of S-ranked criminals. He wanted me to join…?

I processed the information. Konohagkure was home to the Jinjuriki, Uzimaki Naruto. No doubt, the group would come after him. If that were the case, they'd travel to the Leaf… What if they tried to wipe out the whole village for this Naruto person? What if they harmed Sasuke…?

I couldn't let them destroy everything I worked for! It would be best to go with Madara to keep tabs on the Akatsuki operations?

I nodded.

"Great," Madara smiled slyly. "Come with me."

I followed him – deeper… deeper into the thicket of trees and moss.

~ OOO XXX OOO ~

Hands on clocks ticked; the sun sailed through the sky numerous times. So much time passed, perhaps a month. By now I knew everyone in the Akatsuki.

To start with, there was Madara. He was the true leader, though he was never around.

There was the "Zombie Combo", Hidan and Kakuzu. Hidan was a 'religious' man and worships some god whose name slips my mind. Kakuzu is greedy and has many hearts (literally). I'm not entirely sure about him. They are both, apparently, immortal.

Pein poses as the leader, with Konan by his side. It's sometimes awkward around Konan, for she is the only woman.

From Sunagakure, hails Sasori. He is a puppeteer and usually hid in one of his works. His partner recently died, and soon we would find him a new one. Pein has his eyes set on a blonde boy from Iwagakure.

The oddest of all is Zetsu. He's essentially a walking Venus' fly trap with two halves. I've never met anyone with multiple personality disorder, but I'm sure no one else has it like he does. Half of his face is black, the other white. They even speak completely differently!

Orochimaru is pretty weird too. He is originally from Konaha too. Evidently, he was one of the Sannin. As his name implies, he's very snake-like. I'm not fond of him in the slightest. His motives are questionable.

Lastly, my partner is Kisame. Before his time here, he had been of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. His blade (if that's what you can call it) is supposed to be the most frightening of all the swords. Shark-like in appearance, Kisame would easily scare Sasuke. I miss that kid.

Not surprisingly, I am the youngest member to join. I am, only thirteen, after all.

~ OOO XXX OOO ~

I awoke with the sun. I had grown accustomed to waking in a quiet room. We shared rooms with our partners, and Kisame usually awoke before dawn.

So, one could imagine why I'd be surprised to see Kisame sprawled on his mat, fast asleep. I slowly drew near the shark-man. Gently, I placed my finger on his neck. A strong pulse was felt, so I withdrew. It hadn't been long after I started moving, had Kisame's hand snatched my wrist.

I was surprised. I was expertly trained – he shouldn't have felt that.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kisame growled.

I explained my reasoning. "You weren't awake. I was shocked, so I made sure you were alive."

"Why do you care?" His voice was course, and he was obviously mad.

"You're my partner." I didn't see the need to explain why I care about the only sane one around here. Maybe I only felt that way because in a sick way, Kisame understood to have a power so great, and you could do nothing but watch that same power destroy you.

Kisame's eyes snapped open. I hadn't realized until now they were closed. "Don't touch me."

"Fine, lesson learned. Now let go." I learned in order to make it around here, you had to be commanding.

The light from a window bounced in, refracting off Kisame's skin. It was hard to believe that light could touch someone so dark in such a way…

Kisame's grip loosened. I retracted my hand. "How did you know? No one ever notices."

Kisame shut his eyes tightly. He had a strong look of annoyance painted on his features. "Sharks have a stronger sense of touch than humans."

I said nothing for a while. After a moment, I left. Based off our little exchange in there, we would never be friends. _The loneliness will have to be endured a little longer, it seems. _

**Next chapter might take a while. I have to research (or watch the episodes, lol) what happens and when. **

**Review :3**


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